Last night was a rough night for me and I did not sleeping well because I was coughing, had a runny nose, sneezing, achy feeling, feverish, and all those other flu type symptoms. In the morning I tested myself again, and it came back positive! Wow!

I told the host here at the inn, and of course she wasn’t happy and asked me not to come downstairs and to use the outside stairway to go anywhere. She booked me for another night until Tuesday, but was full after that so I’ll need to find a place to stay, which is difficult now because it’s the peak tourist season and all the lodging are full.

I needed to see a doctor and get a certified test for my travel insurance to activate. There are no real urgent care clinics here, and any are closed on Sunday, so the hospital was my only choice. It was before noon by the time I took a cab there. At the ER I was told it would be about a twelve hour wait, around midnight, and it would be $880 just to check in. I felt so sick that I couldn’t think about sitting in the waiting room for twelve or more hours.

They told me there was only one other walk-in clinic that was open at 1:00. Another cab drive there, and there were about forty people already waiting for it to open. You had to get a number, and my number was 43. I was told it would be about a hour until I could register, and about three to four hours before seeing a doctor. What could I do!

It was totally full and I had to go outside and sit on the ground. Later I was able to sit in a hallway and I was excited when they finally called me to register about two hours later. But, I need to pay $80, in cash, which I did not have! I was told there was a cash machine in the store next door, but when I tried it, my debit card was rejected. I wanted to scream, no, actually cry. I asked a clerk if there was someway she could help me, and she asked the manager if I could just draw the money from my credit card. Yes, she said, and I got my $80 cash. I could stop crying!

I finally saw the doctor about 4:00, after waiting four hours and feeling like you know what! After all that waiting, other than asking how I felt, they didn’t take my blood pressure nor did the doctor even examine me. Interesting that I was told by my insurance company not to tell the clinic that I had tested positive with a home test kit because most places would not have allowed me in. Feeling I was just going to be sent out the door, I confessed to the doctor that I had tested positive with a home test. Unfortunately, they don’t have testing there, and the doctor suggested that I go to a testing site tomorrow. After all that waiting, nothing! However, he did recommend that I cancel my holiday (as he put it), and go back home once I quarantined and felt better.

So tomorrow, I will try and find a testing clinic, or I may just go to the airport and pay for a rapid test so I don’t have to wait again.

I am quarantining myself in the room, and the host had brought me breakfast in the morning and had given it to me through the outside door on the deck. I felt like a prisoner, or a wild animal in a zoo, when she knocked on my outside door she stood ten feet back, even though it was a glass door, and placed the food on the ground in front of the door. Later I went downstairs to place my breakfast dishes on table, and the hostess literally screamed at me not to be downstairs. She was nearly tears and told me her helper had quit today because of me. Not a great feeling.

Thankfully, I was able to order dinner and have it delivered, and insurance will pay for it and all other expenses including lodging, food, transportation, and even an earlier flight back. Never go without travel insurance!

Today was a long day, and tomorrow will hopefully be better. I plan to find a testing site, and will just stay in my room like that zoo animal. I will be here one more night (Monday), and booked the next three nights at a hotel that was the only places available because every place is booked. I wasn’t able to find anywhere else to stay for Friday and Saturday and hope I can find somewhere to stay? Technically my quarantine is six days from the first since of Covid, so Saturday would be my realest date (ok, a jail connotation). I don’t wAnt to book a flight yet, because even though my quarantine may be up, I would definitely not travel as I feel now. Hopefully, I can fly home on Sunday or so.

I have to say thank you to all of you that donated money to the Alzheimer’s Association, Longest Day fundraise on my The Island Walk, Prince Edward Island, Canada. I am sorry that I could not complete it, and that I am heading home when I feel better, and I hope you all understand. For those of you that may not have donated yet, and might have been waiting until I started my trek, please, please, donate anyway. I gave it my best in support of a wonderful organization that Is looking for a cure of the disease dementia, sometimes know as Alzheimer’s. It affects people all over the world, regardless of ethnic backgrounds. I had dedicated this walk to my mother, who passed away from the disease, and I would hope she’d still be proud of me in attempting this walk.

Best wishes to all,

Ted

Ted’s The Island Walk Alzheimer’s Association donation link:

http://act.alz.org/site/TR?fr_id=15144&pg=personal&px=16504635

Please excuse the typos, spelling errors, and grammar mistakes, for I am feeling pretty bad.